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Obi Says Corruption and Poor Leadership Are Pushing Nigerians Deeper Into Poverty
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has blamed Nigeria’s stalled progress on corruption, insecurity, and what he described as weak leadership under President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement on his X handle, Obi said more Nigerians are slipping into poverty because leaders have failed to prioritise the welfare of the people. He cited United Nations figures showing that about 34 million citizens could face severe food shortages, while 133 million, roughly 63% of the population, are living in multidimensional poverty.
The former Anambra State governor noted that inflation, now close to 30%, combined with unemployment and poor economic management, has eroded the middle class. He argued that other countries facing similar or even worse conditions have managed to recover through disciplined leadership and sound policies, pointing to Argentina as an example.
Obi highlighted that Argentina’s poverty rate, which stood at over 52% with inflation above 200% in early 2024, has dropped significantly under its new president – with poverty now at 38.1%, extreme poverty at 8.2%, and inflation reduced to 2–3% monthly within two years.
Drawing a comparison, he said both Argentina’s president and Tinubu started their terms in the same year, stressing that while two years may not be enough to fully transform a country, it is enough to begin meaningful reforms if leaders are honest and focused.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid tribute to late Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs, recalling his contributions to the creative industry and his impact on Nigeria’s cultural identity.
In his tribute, Tinubu described Jacobs as a giant of the Nigerian creative industry and said “He was a giant of the Nigerian creative industry. His passing is a great loss to Nigeria, the African film industry and the global community of lovers of the performing arts. His remarkable body of work will continue to speak to generations yet unborn.
“The nation recognises the enormous contributions of Nigeria’s creative practitioners to the country’s cultural identity, global image and economic development. Olu Jacobs played a big role in creating this identity.”
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju also called for the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Nigerians are being exposed to dangerous products daily, from fake and substandard medicines to unsafe consumer goods, with reports of drugs being sold wholesale in the open under the hot sun. No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise.”
Adeyanju also called out NAFDAC over what he described as failures in regulating the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in the country.
It can be noted that various counterfeit products continue to circulate in Nigerian markets, while NAFDAC has also reported seizures and destruction of counterfeit, expired and substandard products.
Lagosians have lamented heavy traffic caused by ongoing construction work at Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Government announced that repairs on the damaged expansion joints at Kara Bridge would begin on September 8, 2026. The project, initially scheduled to begin in August, was delayed to allow further traffic management planning due to concerns over its impact on motorists.
Since work began, traffic around the Kara area has become heavy, with Lagosians sharing updates on social media about spending two hours or more on the road.
Some commuters say the delays have made their 9-to-5 routines difficult, with several hours spent travelling to and from work.
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